Distribution of manifest sheets



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 3, 1946 FIG. 1

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DISTRIBUTION OF MANIFEST SHEETS Filed July 3, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet, 2

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CLEM BURSETT Patented May 24, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT Q FF I CE DISTRIBUTION OF MANIFEST SHEETS.-

Glem Bursett, Seattle, Wash.

Application July 3, 194.6, Serial-No. 681,266

'5' Claims.

This invention. relates to a. distributing apparatus and more particularly to an apparatus for distributing sheet material or the like.

An object, of the invention is to provide such an pparatus. with whioh sheet material such as manifest sheets or the like can. be quickly and efficiently distributed.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a. distributing apparatus. with which sheet material. can be readily distributed with utilization of a minimum of time. and space.

A further object is to provide a device by which sheet or other material can be distributed readily and accurately, which is simple in construction, simple to. operate, and which can be economically manufactured.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspectivev view in elevation of an assembly embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a. detail.

Fig. 3 is atop planview of. the detail shown in Fig, 2;

Fig. 4' is a fragmentary elevation showing a detail;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a portion of a single column cabinet. embodying the invention, on a larger scale than Fig. 1'.

In the handling of manifest sheets or the like, as at ship loading docks or freight loading depots large numbers" of manifests are made. These manifests must be distributed to separate piles so that the piles will be alike and have the proper number of like anddifferent sheets. In the past counter space has been employed and the stacking or distributing done by hand from stack to stack. With the utilization of the apparatus of the present invention, valuable counter space is saved; the sheets can be left inthe device indefinitely whereas the counter, if used, must. be cleared at the close of daily operations. The apparatusof this invention also saves much time asit: eliminates moving from pile to. pile on the. counter; and. also with but a flip of the finger. the sheet falls into its proper place within the cabinet; With this device the work can be done in about. one fourth of the timetaken: by prior methods;

The. apparatus comprisesa cabinet or housing of: any. desired size and may be constructed of any-suitable material. The cabinet or housing preferably comprises a back wall I and a top la, and a desired number of'vertical walls 2. Between the vertical walls there are suitably mounted, as by nails orothersecuring means, not; shown. a desired number of shelves 3, havme any desired vertical spacing. The shelves are preferably inclined downwardly from; the .front to the rear of the cabinet- The shelves 3 are slightly smaller in fore and after dimension than the housing or-cabinet so that when-mount.- ed within. the cabinet their frontedges. will not extend to the front of thecabinet, thus leaving a space as indicated at I. Facing. members 4 are preferably affixed. to the front; of the vertical housing walls. 2 and are; desirably disposed to slightly overlap the forward: edge. of the shelves- 3,v and are spaced. therefrom as. seen: at H]. Notches or openings; 5. are formed: in. the facing strips 4 at. points: intermediate the space between the VQI'iQHSZShBlVGSL. Above each notch 5 there. is affixed an; inwardly extending. member 6. which may desirably. be an angle iron hav-- ing its inwardly extending portion substantially parallel to the overlying; shelf; and: preferably extending under the shelf, as. seen in F g. 4. The other portion. 6a of the angle iron. is suit.- ably affixed to the facingmemlber 4;. as by screws or the like 612. The embodiment also includes means for distributing sheet material or. the like to the. shelves, comprising a feeder or distributing tray, desirably comprising a rectangular bottom. or base plate 1-. The base plate has a narrowed portion la. at one end thereof. Side members 8 each having; a: longitudinal groove 8a extending throughout its. length; are afiixed to the base plate or bottom 7 by glue or other suitable means, the base plate. being. received in the grooves in the side. members to the point of commencement of the narrowed portion la as shown at lb. The side. members. are desirably shorter than the base plate. at the narrowed end of the base plate la and are. each provided near this. endwitha suitable. hole or opening 8b extending transversely from the groove 8a. A hook. member 9. havingfoutwardly bent portions. 9a and 911 at". opposite endsthereof is preferably. provided. at each side of. the tray, each hook member 9.; being. positioned. in the groove B'a of'the. respectiveside, member 8 with the outwardly. bent portion. 9a received in the hole 8b of. the. side. member 8'. The hook member 9 is held firmly. in the groove 8a by the side of the narrowedportion la of the: base plate. The longitudinally projecting portion. of the hook member 9. having the, outwardly bent portion 9b extends. desirably2 to, the. end' of. the narrowed. portion. la. of. the. base, plate 1;. The distance from. the end of. theside, member. 8. to. the outwardly projectingportion. 9b of the hook 9 is desirably slightly greater thamthe; distance from the outer surface of the facing strip 4 of the cabinet to the innermost extension of the angle iron 6 in the cabinet. The hook members 9b are of such size and are so positioned as to be adapted to pass through the notches in the facing strips 4, and to pass vertically through the spaces Ill between the facing strips and the forward edges of the shelves. The overall width of the base plate extension la of the tray together with the longitudinally dis-- posed stems of the hooks 9, disposed at either side thereof, is desirably slightly less than the width of the aperture between the facing strips on the cabinet, thus providing for free movement of this portion of the tray therein. The ends of the upstanding side members 8 of the tray are adapted to abut the facin strips 4 on the outer face thereof to prevent the tray from sliding too far within the housing.

In operation, the feeder tray carrying the material to be distributed is manually inserted with its hooks 9b passing through any desired set of notches 5 in the facing strip l. The tray is then allowed to fall until the hooks 9b are caught by the first shelf below the notches through which the hooks were inserted. At this point the base plate of the feeder tray desirably may be held substantially parallel or nearly so with the shelf on which it rests. In any event the outer end of the tray is manually held at a suitable elevation. While in this position the operator can readily manually slip or move the desired material off of the tray and onto the shelf. Then to lower the tray to the next shelf in the column, the operator pulls the tray outwardly thus allowing the outwardly bent portions 92) of the hook members 9 of the tray to clear the outer edge of the shelf and to drop down to be caught by the angle iron 6, thus preventing the tray from slipping by the next shelf. The tray is then pushed inwardly until it clears the innermost end of the angle iron, thus allowing it to fall to rest on the next shelf where desired material is deposited as before.

It is apparent that the invention may be embodied in various forms, and that numerous variations in parts and arrangement of parts may be made, and that the invention is not to be limited to the embodiment shown and described, the scope of the invention being defined in the appended claims.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination in apparatus for the distribution ofmaterial, a housing, vertically spaced shelves in said housing, a distributing tray having a portion extending into said housing and adapted to rest on any one of said shelves, said extended portion of said tray including lateral projections, said shelves terminating short of the front of said housing, vertically disposed facing members on the front of said housing opposite the sides of said shelves and spaced from the forward ends of said shelves, said facing members having openings therein at a point above one of said shelves to permit passage therethrough of the lateral projections of said extended portion of said tray into said housing, and said facing members having inwardly extending members extending beneath said shelves, said facing members and inwardly extending members being disposed for engage- 4 ment with the lateral projections of said extended portion of said tray during movement of said tray from one shelf to another and normally retaining said extended tray portion Within said housing during said movement of said tray, said extended portion of said tray including a portion of a width to pass between said facing members.

2. In combination in apparatus for the distribution of material, a housing, vertically spaced shelves in said housing, a distributing tray having a portion extending into said housing and adapted to rest on any one of said shelves, said shelves terminating short of the front of said housing, vertically disposed facing members on the front of said housing opposite the sides of said shelves and spaced from the forward ends of said shelves, said facing members having openings therein at a point above one of said shelves to permit passage of said extended portion of said tray into said housing, and said facing members having inwardly extending members extending beneath said shelves, said facing members and inwardly extending members being disposed for engagement with said extended portion of said tray during movement of said tray from one shelf to another and normally retaining said extended tray portion within said housing during said movement of said tray, said extended portion of said tray including laterally disposed projections adapted to pass through the said openings in said facing members and to be supported selectively on said shelf or on said inwardly extending members.

3. In combination in apparatus for the distribution of material, a housing, vertically spaced shelves in said housing, a distributing tray having a portion extending into said housing and adapted to rest on any one of said shelves, said extended portion of said tray including lateral projections, said shelves terminating short of the front of the housing, vertically disposed facing members on the front of said housing opposite the sides of said shelves and spaced from the forward ends of said shelves, said facing members having openings therein at a point above one of said shelves to permit passage therethrough of the lateral projections of said extended portion of said tray into said housing, and said facing members having inwardly extending members extending beneath and spaced from said shelves and substantially parallel thereto, said facing members and inwardly extending members being disposed for engagement with the lateral projections of said extended portion of said tray during movement of said tray from one shelf to another and normally retaining said extended tray portion within said housing during said movement of said tray, said extended portion of said tray including a portion of a width to pass between said facing members.

4. In combination in apparatus for the distribution of material, a housing, vertically spaced shelves in said housing, a distributing tray having a portion extending into said housing and adapted to rest on any one of said shelves, said shelves terminating short of the front of said housing, vertically disposed facing members on the front of said housing opposite the sides of said shelves and spaced from the forward ends of said shelves, said facing members having openings therein at a point above one of said shelves to permit passage of said extended portion of said tray into said housing, and said facing members having inwardly extending members extending beneath said shelves, said facing members and inwardly extending members being disposed for engagement with said extended portion of said tray during movement of said tray from one shelf to another and normally retaining said extended tray portion Within said housing during said movement of said tray, said tray comprising a base plate, side members adapted. to receive said base plate for a portion of their length, hook members affixed in said side members, and providing lateral projections, said hook members being retained in position by a portion of said 10 1,351,415

base plate.

5. In combination in apparatus according to claim 4, the ends of said side members being spaced from the lateral projections, said ends providing abutments to engage said facing members to limit movement of said tray inwardly of said housing.

CLEM BURSET'I'.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

